Healdsburg Forever (formerly the Healdsburg Area Fund) is a community endowment created by local citizens in 2003 to provide a dependable income stream for annual grants to support nonprofit organizations serving community needs in Healdsburg and Geyserville. An affiliate of Community Foundation Sonoma County, the Healdsburg Forever Fund has grown to over $1.4 million and secured pledges that will sustain their mission for generations to come. To date, they have granted more than $760,000 to over 56 applicants to help manage program and operational costs for nonprofit organizations.

The Free Bookmobile is one of those fortunate programs and we are celebrating a long-term partnership with this dedicated group. In fact Healdsburg Forever was one of the very first groups that invested in our program’s work, back in 2011 when we were a part of the Literary Arts Guild. It gave us a chance to explore the area, learn its population and needs, and begin service relationships that have borne much fruit since. Today our unique brand of literacy promotion is welcomed at dozens of locations throughout Healdsburg and Geyserville where we are making a big impact on people’s lives. We even filled in as the library-on-wheels for a rural elementary school that lost their library space in a fire.

As we thank Healdsburg Forever.org for this new 2019 grant, we also want to thank them for the personal relationships that this particular journey has birthed. From the HF board members to the nurturing Boys & Girls Club directors to the good citizens who promote our visits on the Geyserville town marquee, we find ourselves moved again and again by the wonderful people of this region. Thank you so much, Healdsburg Forever.org!

Thanks to generous support from Bethlehem Foundation, the Free Bookmobile will continue its dedicated outreach to Sonoma County’s senior citizens, right to their doorsteps! When we launched the bookmobile program back in 2009, we knew right away that service to elders would be one of our primary goals, as they represent a population with far fewer options for access to books. Many are making do with minimal fixed incomes, meaning less ability to purchase books. They also tend to lose mobility and transportation options as they age. The answer is, of course, the friendly neighborhood Free Bookmobile. We roll up to their place of residence and offer great titles across a wide range of categories, including some audio and large print. And without the burden of figuring out how and when to return the books, our senior patrons can relax and take their time enjoying them. We have learned that they are really good at sharing them later with the neighbors, too!

The caring folks at Bethlehem Foundation have a terrific funding model going: they make grants to enhance the quality of life of local seniors with the investment proceeds from the 2013 sale of Bethlehem Tower, a 159-unit high-rise apartment building located near downtown Santa Rosa. The icing on the cake is that the new property owner, Reiner Communities, has not only completed extensive renovations but continues to serve low- to very low-income seniors, extending the affordability of the project for an additional 55 years.

This is our fourth straight grant from Bethlehem Foundation and we want to extend our gratitude for this terrific partnership!